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Forest Service Proposes More Boating on Upper Chattooga

Today, the US Forest Service released their newest proposal regarding how to manage recreation on
the Wild and Scenic Upper Chattooga River, where they currently maintain a controversial ban on
paddling. The proposal will, if it is implemented, allow more paddling than has been proposed by
the Forest Service in prior proposals as soon as March of this year. It will also correct some of
the degrading ecological conditions and will employ specific capacities for all
visitors. However, like previous proposals, the new proposal would limit whitewater paddling
by stream reach, season, and flow, while imposing no such limits on all other similar visitors.
Specifically the proposal would:

Allow paddling to occur between Green Creek and Lick Log Creek
(about 15 of the 21 miles of the Upper Chattooga), between December 1 and April 30, on days when
flows have hit 350 cfs or higher.

Leave paddling banned on the uppermost two miles, the lower four
miles, and all tributaries all year. It would also ban paddling from May 1 through November
30 on the entire Upper Chattooga, and on all days when flows have not hit 350 cfs or above.

Impose no direct limits on other similar visitors.

Monitor use and if too many people visit the corridor employ
limits based on set visitor capacities.

The USFS is proposing paddling limits to “provide opportunities for boat-free, coldwater
angling and other recreational activities.” In a press conference earlier today, Paul
Bradley, forest supervisor for the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests in South Carolina
stated, “Allowing boating in the Nicholson Fields would introduce unacceptable levels of
conflict, and that’s something we’ve worked extremely hard to avoid.” The USFS
has no evidence of such conflicts on the Chattooga or other similar rivers.

Bradley also noted, “The other forest supervisors and I hope today’s decisions will
bring closure to the differences many folks have had over how this precious, valuable resource
should be managed.” However, their decision contains all the same violations of law and
policy that are now being challenged by conservation-oriented paddlers in federal court.

The USFS expects to be ready to allow paddling no later than mid-March of this year, assuming
they do not grant stays of the decision as they did regarding a prior decision.

If implemented, this new policy would allow some legal paddling on the Upper Chattooga River for
the first time since it was controversially banned in 1976. These opportunities would be
the result of over 15 years of dogged efforts by American Whitewater and the thousands of people
that believe Wild and Scenic Rivers – and Wilderness rivers – should be responsibly
managed for sustainable recreation and natural resource conservation. This policy will grant
American’s some well deserved time on the water while the remaining legal and policy issues
are sorted out.